Honey is a superfood to cure colds, coughs, sore throats, digestive issues, and other medicinal problems. Along with internal benefits, honey gives us topical benefits. Thanks to its antibacterial and antifungal properties. Here, cat owners may think, Can cats eat honey?
There is nothing wrong with cats eating honey if taken in a small amount. That can be helpful for your cat’s health. However, if your cat eats one teaspoon of honey or more than that, she may go through health issues.
You must consider some factors while giving honey to your cat, as it has some side effects. This article will make you more certain about this concept.
Table of Contents
What Is Honey?
Honey is a viscous and sweet substance to eat. Several bees gather and secrete the sugar from floral nectar, which comes as honey. However, honey is high in glucose and fructose. It tastes almost like sucrose. People most often use honey as a sweetener in fresh foods.
In one tablespoon of honey, you will get 46 kilocalories. It has many nutrients like carbs, sugar, calcium, and vitamins B2 and B3.
For humans, honey is a boon for treating many diseases. It can cure acute and chronic coughs. Also, many practitioners use honey as a topical antibiotic. Again, for burns and injuries, honey does wonders with its folk treatment.
Many doctors suggest eating honey for seasonal allergies, therapy, cancer, and so on. A typical amount of honey is always safe to use and eat.
Do Cats Like Honey?
Carnivorous animals don’t like the sweetness of honey; meanwhile, cats are also carnivores. They can’t feel the sweetness from food, so there is no chance for a cat to get sweetness from honey. Honey is not unappealing to cats.
You may think your cat loves sweets when she licks ice cream constantly. It is not because she adores the sweetness; it is because she adores the fat content.
Many vets suggest feeding cats a small amount of honey as a source of immune boosters. Sometimes, cats can like it, as honey has a good amount of fat.
Can Cats Eat Honey?
There is nothing wrong with licking honey for a feline. In fact, she will love it, as cats seek fat content in foods. There are several health benefits for a cat from consuming honey.
Cats can eat honey of small quality, i.e., half a teaspoon. If they consume an outrageous amount of honey, that can cause vomiting, diarrhoea, and other digestive issues. Besides, it would be best if you let your cat eat honey after taking approval from her vet.
Healthy Alternatives To Eat Honey For Cats
Honey is not always the safest substance for a cat to eat. Sometimes you have to consider other foods that can replace honey.
As cats crave fat content, you can treat her to salmon or tuna. Also, meat and doughnuts are good options to feed cats as fatty foods.
Side Effects Of Eating Honey For Cats
Honey is never a toxic substance for cats to eat. It only leaves side effects when consumed too much.
For instance, if your feline friend consumes too much honey, she will first go through abdominal issues. The symptoms could be vomiting and diarrhoea. Also, she will feel nauseous or become lethargic.
What To Do When Cats Eat Too Much Honey?
When your cat consumes more honey than necessary, you can identify the symptoms with certainty. In such times, you must let your cat vomit; this will discharge the excess amount of honey that he consumed.
If the condition gets worse, consult with your vet. He may suggest some medicines to calm your cat’s stomach. Till then, you can feed some water to your cat. This will give temporary relief to her.
When Can Cats Eat Honey?
You can only feed your cat honey when your vet recommends it. That doesn’t mean that you can feed any type of honey. As cats have a sensitive immune system, you have to go with either raw honey or manuka honey. Raw honey can reduce cat allergies, while manuka honey has many medicinal properties.
Make sure your cat is not consuming more than half a teaspoon of honey. Because honey is not as good for cats as it is for humans.
Frequently Asked Questions: Can Cats Eat Honey?
Is honey good for cat colds?
Honey is good for treating coughs and colds. However, it can’t do wonders to treat a cat’s cold, as they can taste the sweetness of honey. Not only does consuming honey relieve a cold but so does its taste.
Can cats eat sugar?
Cats can eat sugar but in a limited quantity. However, vets approve of treating dogs with 3% sugar in their daily meals. Eating more than the required amount can cause stomach issues in dogs.
Can cats eat honey or butter?
Cats can eat both honey and butter in a limited quantity. As cats can’t feel the sweetness in foods, they will most likely skip honey and eat butter. They mostly seek the fat content of foods that are available in both honey and butter.
How much honey can you give to your cat?
A cat can have ½ teaspoon of honey. Sometimes, cats consume more than this amount, which can lead to diarrhoea, vomiting, nausea, and stomach pain.
Final Thoughts
After knowing about the immense benefits of honey, cat owners will wonder: Can cats eat honey? Well, cats can eat honey in small quantities. Like humans, cats can get health benefits from honey.
Eating too much honey can have unwanted effects on the bodies of both humans and cats. If your cat ever eats honey more than necessary, you will find several health issues with that. In that case, you must give her proper treatment by consulting your vet. He will suggest some medications and foods to feed your cat.
